ENGLISH
REFERENCE

argue out

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to talk about a problem or disagreement in detail until you find a solution or reach an agreement.

phr. v.. to resolve a dispute or reach a conclusion through exhaustive discussion or debate.


SIMPLE

They stayed up late to argue out their differences.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee spent three hours trying to argue out the details of the new policy.

COMPLEX

Rather than making a hasty decision, the board members decided to argue out every possible implication of the merger before voting.

Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
argue + out + object
Usage

often used with abstract nouns like 'differences', 'details', or 'points'.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'argue' (the act of fighting) by showing that 'argue out' implies a goal of reaching a resolution or 'emptying' the argument.

Pitfall

They argued out about the money.They argued out the money issues.this phrasal verb is transitive and takes the topic of the argument as a direct object without 'about'.

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